The death of Kim Jong Il has brought out some of the ugliest traits in some human beans across the world. In Taiwan, a news reader had the rude audacity to imitate the sorrows and grief in the way the North Korean news reader broadcast his death. And the Taiwanese thought it was fun. And some thought it was justifiable to win viewerships by such a poor taste act of disgraceful conduct.
The biggest disgraceful act happened at the UN when a 1 minute silence was proposed for the death of Kim, a national leader. The shameful boycott of this 1 minute observance was led by the US and its shameful allies, the European countries, Japan and South Korea. It was only a gesture of respect and condolence to Kim Jong Il, the leader of a nation. They really stooped really low in human decency to do such a darn thing.
Kim Jong Il was not Hitler nor was he a George Bush or Tony Blair whose hands were dripping with the bloods of Iraqis. How would the US and the European nations, supposedly civilised nations, behave in such a creepy and disgraceful way?
It was definitely uncalled for, and a very mean thing to do so.
12/27/2011
The Art of Tolerance or Intolerance
Living in a multi racial and multi religious society is getting more complicated and even demanding of everyone to be extra sensitive to the needs and taboos of everyone. The special needs could now extend to people with medical or psychological conditions as well.
I will just confine to one specific factor of food and inviting people to a pig out or makan event, or a party, religious, cultural or just a simple wedding. The latter is of extra sensitive other than just an issue of food. Anyone who has been put through such an ordeal will know how difficult and sensitive is the invitation list as it could offend people for inviting and not inviting them, and serving them the right food. The vegetarians always felt shortchanged when others feasted on sumptious dishes and theirs were simply vegetables or glutens.
Putting that aside, let’s talk about an invitation to a Christmas Party. Not everyone is agreeable with the religion in the first place. That is another issue. Not everyone is agreeable with the food and the alcohol on offer. We have people who can’t take meat, some can’t take ham, some cannot consume alcohol, some can’t have sugar, some cannot take legume related products or nuts, some can only take vegetables and vegetables of certain types.
How is the host going to take care of all the prohibitions and cannot issue? To make sure that everyone is going to have what they want and nothing else is a tall order. The problem is with the host or organiser. If they want to invite people with special needs and sensitivity towards food, isn’t it their responsibility to make sure that the guest’s needs are met and be happy? To complicate problems, the numbers of guests with special needs may be so small, one may be diabetic, two may be vegetarians, and vegetarians also got different types, vegans and non vegans, one may not be able to take pork, a few may need food to be halal. And some cannot have fried food. So how?
One way is to go for the lowest common denominator whereby everyone can eat the same food and no one will be cheated. I can only think of a perfect menu, plain rice, porridge, bread, can have a few types, Swiss, English, French etc, and a spread of vegetables, and plenty of non alcoholic drinks, without sugar of course.
But if the host is rich and money is no issue, he could still have his cake and eat it, ask each guest to pick his own menu and engage an army of chefs to prepare anything under the sky.
Another option is to defer to the host, host priority. The guests will let the host decides what he wants to serve and eat whatever they can find suitable to them. I did that most of the time. I am vegetarians on 3 full days a week. And it is difficult to demand on my friends and host to prepare vegetarian food on the days that I am vegetarian. I don’t expect my friends or hosts to know that. So I make do with what is available. I pick on vegetarian dishes and may just stick to one dish and avoid the rest. Or if that is not possible, I will just take the vegetable and beans in a plate of meat food. But only I can do that, to accommodate the host and avoid making things difficult for them. I am my own boss and god when food is concerned. I decide. I choose to be vegetarian and no need to blame others.
Many people cannot decide as there is god and religion involved, there is also the doctor and his prescription for those with health issues. These make things that much more inflexible as to what can be eaten or not eaten is no longer a personal decision. The only thing left is plain water.
The issue I presented is tolerance of the host or tolerance of the guests. In the former, the guests make do with what is on the table, without putting any demands or pressure on the host. The latter, the host would have to bend backwards to meet the sensitivities of the guests.
I am not going to suggest that we go the Banquet way, where restaurants should all go halal. For the next step is, why just halal and not go for the lowest set of common denominator, vegetarian? When that be the case, then those deprived of their food preference would become the sensitive ones, making unyielding demands that their cravings for food must be satisfied.
It is tough to say who is being sensitive or insensitive to the needs of others when the issue is getting more complex, demanding and irritating when words like discrimination is hung on the front chests.
I will just confine to one specific factor of food and inviting people to a pig out or makan event, or a party, religious, cultural or just a simple wedding. The latter is of extra sensitive other than just an issue of food. Anyone who has been put through such an ordeal will know how difficult and sensitive is the invitation list as it could offend people for inviting and not inviting them, and serving them the right food. The vegetarians always felt shortchanged when others feasted on sumptious dishes and theirs were simply vegetables or glutens.
Putting that aside, let’s talk about an invitation to a Christmas Party. Not everyone is agreeable with the religion in the first place. That is another issue. Not everyone is agreeable with the food and the alcohol on offer. We have people who can’t take meat, some can’t take ham, some cannot consume alcohol, some can’t have sugar, some cannot take legume related products or nuts, some can only take vegetables and vegetables of certain types.
How is the host going to take care of all the prohibitions and cannot issue? To make sure that everyone is going to have what they want and nothing else is a tall order. The problem is with the host or organiser. If they want to invite people with special needs and sensitivity towards food, isn’t it their responsibility to make sure that the guest’s needs are met and be happy? To complicate problems, the numbers of guests with special needs may be so small, one may be diabetic, two may be vegetarians, and vegetarians also got different types, vegans and non vegans, one may not be able to take pork, a few may need food to be halal. And some cannot have fried food. So how?
One way is to go for the lowest common denominator whereby everyone can eat the same food and no one will be cheated. I can only think of a perfect menu, plain rice, porridge, bread, can have a few types, Swiss, English, French etc, and a spread of vegetables, and plenty of non alcoholic drinks, without sugar of course.
But if the host is rich and money is no issue, he could still have his cake and eat it, ask each guest to pick his own menu and engage an army of chefs to prepare anything under the sky.
Another option is to defer to the host, host priority. The guests will let the host decides what he wants to serve and eat whatever they can find suitable to them. I did that most of the time. I am vegetarians on 3 full days a week. And it is difficult to demand on my friends and host to prepare vegetarian food on the days that I am vegetarian. I don’t expect my friends or hosts to know that. So I make do with what is available. I pick on vegetarian dishes and may just stick to one dish and avoid the rest. Or if that is not possible, I will just take the vegetable and beans in a plate of meat food. But only I can do that, to accommodate the host and avoid making things difficult for them. I am my own boss and god when food is concerned. I decide. I choose to be vegetarian and no need to blame others.
Many people cannot decide as there is god and religion involved, there is also the doctor and his prescription for those with health issues. These make things that much more inflexible as to what can be eaten or not eaten is no longer a personal decision. The only thing left is plain water.
The issue I presented is tolerance of the host or tolerance of the guests. In the former, the guests make do with what is on the table, without putting any demands or pressure on the host. The latter, the host would have to bend backwards to meet the sensitivities of the guests.
I am not going to suggest that we go the Banquet way, where restaurants should all go halal. For the next step is, why just halal and not go for the lowest set of common denominator, vegetarian? When that be the case, then those deprived of their food preference would become the sensitive ones, making unyielding demands that their cravings for food must be satisfied.
It is tough to say who is being sensitive or insensitive to the needs of others when the issue is getting more complex, demanding and irritating when words like discrimination is hung on the front chests.
12/26/2011
The use and meaning of quotes
Very often we like to quote what other people said in our posts. And we quote for various reasons. One major use of quotes is that the person is an authority and what he said is important or makes sense. The famous quote of Lord Acton is being used daily in cyberspace, ‘Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.’
When people make this quote, they are agreeing completely with the author. Absolute power corrupts, a fact. But people may make this quote and then explains why they agree or even disagree. And they will explain why they disagree, sometimes by writing a whole book on it.
Some may misquote or quote it partially by saying power corrupts, and power corrupts absolutely, which has a slightly different meaning. It needs not be absolute power to corrupt absolutely. But the person who quoted is happy that as long as it is power, needs not be absolute, it can still corrupt absolutely. Other wise there is no point in making the reference. He believes that power alone can corrupt absolutely.
This is different from Acton’s original intent or idea. Acton only pronounced that in order for power to corrupt absolutely, it must be absolute power. His criteria is more demanding, not anyhow power, little power, small power, as long as it is power, it corrupts absolutely.
When someone quotes, it is quite easy to understand his intent or thinking, his values, what he subscribes to, what he agrees or disagrees, or what he believes in what he quoted.
‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ Anyone making this quote must agree with the saying or enjoys the brevity of making a profound expression with so few words. This is an artistic reason for making a quote.
When people make this quote, they are agreeing completely with the author. Absolute power corrupts, a fact. But people may make this quote and then explains why they agree or even disagree. And they will explain why they disagree, sometimes by writing a whole book on it.
Some may misquote or quote it partially by saying power corrupts, and power corrupts absolutely, which has a slightly different meaning. It needs not be absolute power to corrupt absolutely. But the person who quoted is happy that as long as it is power, needs not be absolute, it can still corrupt absolutely. Other wise there is no point in making the reference. He believes that power alone can corrupt absolutely.
This is different from Acton’s original intent or idea. Acton only pronounced that in order for power to corrupt absolutely, it must be absolute power. His criteria is more demanding, not anyhow power, little power, small power, as long as it is power, it corrupts absolutely.
When someone quotes, it is quite easy to understand his intent or thinking, his values, what he subscribes to, what he agrees or disagrees, or what he believes in what he quoted.
‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ Anyone making this quote must agree with the saying or enjoys the brevity of making a profound expression with so few words. This is an artistic reason for making a quote.
Shafie being labelled a trouble maker
I was reading this article by a Shafie in TransitioningOrg. He related an incident when the company was organising a Christmas lunch party and how he was labelled a trouble maker.
I quote, ‘Soon, she came over to my desk and she informed me that she had booked a restaurant that served non-halal food. And she asked, would it be okay, for me, if she requested the restaurant to serve vegetarian, or order halal food from somewhere else and bring it to the restaurant?
I voiced out that, first of all, I’ve never heard of any restaurant that allows outside food. Secondly, a budget has been set aside for the party, and while the rest of the staff gets to enjoy a sumptuous meal……the rest of the minorities was expected to eat vegetables? – Sorry, to my vegetarian friends. Thirdly, why was the staff never consulted and a consensus taken to which restaurants we would like to have our party?
And before I could offer other alternatives, she exclaimed, ‘Why are you so strict?!’’
Actually the problem can be solved quite easily. No need to ask staff of all other religions which restaurant they would want the Christmas party to be held. Any restaurant will do. The main issue is food. Please let me explain.
For the vegetarian, ask the chef to prepare vegetarian turkey, vegetarian ham etc etc. There are all kinds of mocked vegetarian meat dishes available or can be created. Okay Christmas party must have turkey and ham. Log cake should not pose any problem.
As for the Muslims, instead of ham, provide them with lamb, and turkey can still be turkey if halal turkey is available. If that is not possible, get an oversize halal chicken instead from Kentucky. When I was in Saudi Arabia, they served no alcoholic beer and wine if I remembered correctly.
I think the Muslims will understand and such a compromise arrangement may be acceptable. I am saying maybe, just my opinion. I am not a Muslim and I may be wrong and insensitive to say this. Please disagree with me if you have to.
Point to note is that we are a multi racial and multi religious society and we must pay special attention to the sensitivities of every group. What is normal and taken for granted by one group can be something very sensitive and serious to another. This problem will be exaggerated when the population gets bigger and more people from other nationalities migrated here and become our colleagues and neighbours. Things can only get more complex and more sensitive as we go forward.
I quote, ‘Soon, she came over to my desk and she informed me that she had booked a restaurant that served non-halal food. And she asked, would it be okay, for me, if she requested the restaurant to serve vegetarian, or order halal food from somewhere else and bring it to the restaurant?
I voiced out that, first of all, I’ve never heard of any restaurant that allows outside food. Secondly, a budget has been set aside for the party, and while the rest of the staff gets to enjoy a sumptuous meal……the rest of the minorities was expected to eat vegetables? – Sorry, to my vegetarian friends. Thirdly, why was the staff never consulted and a consensus taken to which restaurants we would like to have our party?
And before I could offer other alternatives, she exclaimed, ‘Why are you so strict?!’’
Actually the problem can be solved quite easily. No need to ask staff of all other religions which restaurant they would want the Christmas party to be held. Any restaurant will do. The main issue is food. Please let me explain.
For the vegetarian, ask the chef to prepare vegetarian turkey, vegetarian ham etc etc. There are all kinds of mocked vegetarian meat dishes available or can be created. Okay Christmas party must have turkey and ham. Log cake should not pose any problem.
As for the Muslims, instead of ham, provide them with lamb, and turkey can still be turkey if halal turkey is available. If that is not possible, get an oversize halal chicken instead from Kentucky. When I was in Saudi Arabia, they served no alcoholic beer and wine if I remembered correctly.
I think the Muslims will understand and such a compromise arrangement may be acceptable. I am saying maybe, just my opinion. I am not a Muslim and I may be wrong and insensitive to say this. Please disagree with me if you have to.
Point to note is that we are a multi racial and multi religious society and we must pay special attention to the sensitivities of every group. What is normal and taken for granted by one group can be something very sensitive and serious to another. This problem will be exaggerated when the population gets bigger and more people from other nationalities migrated here and become our colleagues and neighbours. Things can only get more complex and more sensitive as we go forward.
12/25/2011
Bloops can be good too
It is official, Seng Han Thong is not a racist. Shanmugam has spoken and no man in blue will be going after him. It was just a bloop and not necessary to put words into his mouth. The SMRT official is definitely more astute politically. It is not fair to put a label on Seng Han Thong for misquoting him. I support this trend of not putting labels on people or jumping quickly to put a label on anyone. We will become a more tolerant society if we refrain from doing so.
The biggest and most notorious of such bloops was the darkness in Little India by an MP. I must be careful and quote the source or else people may label me as racist too. I did not say that, but quoting an ex MP. Then there was another bloop, or more serious than that, by a member of Young PAP in his blog about trainee terrorists.
And this is Christmas. All will be forgiven in good spirit. But I do wish for Christmas that more bloops will come out and be forgiven. They will set the precedents, the benchmarks to forgive people who blooped and be spared from being labelled as racists.
The Christmas Spirit is thriving.
The biggest and most notorious of such bloops was the darkness in Little India by an MP. I must be careful and quote the source or else people may label me as racist too. I did not say that, but quoting an ex MP. Then there was another bloop, or more serious than that, by a member of Young PAP in his blog about trainee terrorists.
And this is Christmas. All will be forgiven in good spirit. But I do wish for Christmas that more bloops will come out and be forgiven. They will set the precedents, the benchmarks to forgive people who blooped and be spared from being labelled as racists.
The Christmas Spirit is thriving.
Let it flood, let it flood
Problems, problems everywhere. Orchard Road is turning into a river and the Environment Minister is hard cracking his head on how to solve this problem. Someone said it would be so costly to construct a drainage system that it is better to live with it. I can’t believe the numbers, if a safety and timing system for the MRT to run from 5 min to 3 min intervals would cost billions of dollars. Now this money can be saved as there is no need to run the train faster any more when commuters got used to slower train speed.
Our great economic growth formula is only half way there and the constraints are already causing bottle necks and everything to break down. How would the world class infrastructure cope if our population goes to 6m, 8m or 10m? We have congestions and squeezes everywhere. Congestions on the roads and people are forced to take public transport and taxis and the latter had no choice but to raise fares because of higher operating costs. Buses that have to navigate the estates and congested roads are not going to be of much help.
Now a brilliant solution to the road congestion problem is proposed. River taxis plying from Clark Quay to Marina Barrage will be a viable alternative to relieve road congestions, and commuters will be pleased. I know some will be. I have still got to find the reason for going to Marina Barrage. For those staying in Woodlands and other outlying towns, they still need to find their ways to Clark Quay before taking the faster river buses to Marina Barrage, for what I dunno. Beats me.
But if one views the problem from a bigger perspective, it may really be workable. No need to waste billions of dollars to re design and construct a drainage system. Let if flood, the natural way. With global warming, many parts of the island will be underwater anyway. There were suggestions of building a dyke all round the island to keep the sea away. The costs must be enormous. See, let it flood and build a new infrastructure with Orchard Road and many other roads as canals and rivers. Instead of wasting money and effort to fight nature, live with nature, climate change and global warming. The romantising of Venice of the East could come true.
And we need not worry about road congestion and high COEs. No fear of MRT breakdowns and being trapped with poor ventilation. Everyone can own a sampan or a speed boat to go about. Travelling on water could be the next transport option across the island, no need to be forced to escape the congestion and take river taxis to Marina Barrage.
And all landed properties just be rebuilt into high rise towers as that will come naturally when the island goes under water in times to come. Letting it flood and living with the flood is so much easier and efficient and cheaper.
Our great economic growth formula is only half way there and the constraints are already causing bottle necks and everything to break down. How would the world class infrastructure cope if our population goes to 6m, 8m or 10m? We have congestions and squeezes everywhere. Congestions on the roads and people are forced to take public transport and taxis and the latter had no choice but to raise fares because of higher operating costs. Buses that have to navigate the estates and congested roads are not going to be of much help.
Now a brilliant solution to the road congestion problem is proposed. River taxis plying from Clark Quay to Marina Barrage will be a viable alternative to relieve road congestions, and commuters will be pleased. I know some will be. I have still got to find the reason for going to Marina Barrage. For those staying in Woodlands and other outlying towns, they still need to find their ways to Clark Quay before taking the faster river buses to Marina Barrage, for what I dunno. Beats me.
But if one views the problem from a bigger perspective, it may really be workable. No need to waste billions of dollars to re design and construct a drainage system. Let if flood, the natural way. With global warming, many parts of the island will be underwater anyway. There were suggestions of building a dyke all round the island to keep the sea away. The costs must be enormous. See, let it flood and build a new infrastructure with Orchard Road and many other roads as canals and rivers. Instead of wasting money and effort to fight nature, live with nature, climate change and global warming. The romantising of Venice of the East could come true.
And we need not worry about road congestion and high COEs. No fear of MRT breakdowns and being trapped with poor ventilation. Everyone can own a sampan or a speed boat to go about. Travelling on water could be the next transport option across the island, no need to be forced to escape the congestion and take river taxis to Marina Barrage.
And all landed properties just be rebuilt into high rise towers as that will come naturally when the island goes under water in times to come. Letting it flood and living with the flood is so much easier and efficient and cheaper.
12/24/2011
A larger and brighter version of the first photo
Hints of hardship if look hard enough
There is a special report on Life In North Korea in the ST today. Several articles were written by a batch of journalism students from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and information at NTU. They happened to be invited to North Korea a few weeks before the death of Kim Jong Il. There are generous pictures which they took of this hermit and closed country. Their reports gave a first hand version of what is on the ground, even if staged and the best front the North Koreans could put forward. It is still revealing if one cares to look closer for the truth of how the North Koreans live their life, though only a little peep in a keyhole.
‘Hints of hardship if you look hard enough’ is the title of a Foo Jie Ying’s article. In Singapore, the richest country in the region and one of the richest in the world, you don’t have to look hard enough to find hardship unless one lives in a life of plenty and never walk the streets. I know, some Singaporeans were shockingly surprised to see hardship here when all one needs to do is to walk the streets.
Another of the students, Jennifer Dhanaraj, wrote about visiting this notorious country while the rest were all ready to scrutinise all the evidence of hardship, poverty, regimentation and an oppressive regime. Their expectations were fully met especially on the amount of propaganda that the North Koreans were brought up with.
‘The indoctrination starts in schools. Kindergarten children learn about Mr Kim Il Sung’s humble beginnings.’ Is this new? I am not sure if there were any indoctrination in Singapore, but these students have already formed their impression of this notorious nation even before stepping foot in the country and knew about the famines where reportedly 2m people died and 6m people are in need of food aid.
I am just wondering how much land and people would be needed to bury 2m people over a short period of time. If it is spreaded over a few decades like the tens of millions of Red Indians killed during the genocide in early America, it is easy to bury them and removed all traces of the killings and conveniently forgotten by not talking about them. Everyone seems to remember vividly the 2m famine deaths in North Korea and no one could recall the tens of millions Red Indians killed. Maybe they never call it genocide or something sinister to be remembered.
I am also wondering what were our kindergarten children being taught in Singapore, about its leaders humble beginning and their great achievements. Here we don’t call it indoctrination, just history, so that makes it different.
North Korea is a poor country. There is no need to look hard or look further. But life is far from a poverty stricken country like those in the third world or the developing world. They lived comfortably but without the modern gadgets that are part and parcel of the consumer societies of the developed world. They do not need to dress up everything, advertising and competition to sell and sell and for people to buy and buy.
Their lifestyle is far from what we would expect. As the students pointed out in style, we kept ourselves very busy with our mobile phones, tweeting, emails and got not much time left for socialising. The North Koreans need not spend time playing computer games and sending emails or sms, but lead their lives quite differently.
They did not have Orchard Road and Ion Shopping Malls or our two family entertainment resorts to keep them awake 24 hours. They are supposed to go to bed at 10pm.
Their economy is not even 10% the size of South Korea. But their soldiers were issued with Adidas shoes while ours with Brooks. They need not pay for medical or even child birth while we have to pay by the thousands for the delivery of a child and hundreds of thousands if warded in the hospitals. Sure our hospitals are world class. Definitely their doctors need not be paid in the hundreds of thousands or in millions. They don’t need so much money as their landed properties probably cost a fraction of our COEs while we have to pay hundreds of thousands or millions for a little free airspace for 99 years without owning it. They have free education to university level.
When so many things are free, when the needs for everyday living is simple, no need to pay $350k for overseas telephone bills, when their elite are paid a pittance, how can their GDP be comparable to those consumer societies when everything is priced to the sky to be of value? I bet their Adidas are made in China and cost a few dollars while the same Adidas here would cost a hundred bucks or more here.
Is it logical to compare GDP when the costing is different? They have several million soldiers to feed but each will cost a fraction of what we paid to our soldiers or a pittance of what the Americans paid for their soldiers. For every dollar they got more, many times more of goods and services.
They are poor, but they are not desperate or begging in the streets for food, all looking hungry, lean and in drapes. They dressed well and are well fed. And their streets are absolutely cleaner than ours, cleaner than the cleanest streets in Southeast Asia. Maybe they have nothing to throw away.
The students were constantly being watched during their visits and photography was hardly permissible. They were told to delete things they were not supposed to take. I remembered taking some photos at the underground station in Seoul several years back, innocently of course, just like tourists did everywhere. Immediately I was swarmed by several security personnel that appeared from nowhere and I was whisked to a corner for questioning. Only after showing my passport and giving them a few sheepish and polite smiles before they released me.
I am not sure you can shoot photographs freely in our underground without being stopped. I know that you cannot shoot at any embassies along Tanglin before someone come knocking at your door. A friend of mine had that notorious experience before in our free country.
Looking at North Korea, understanding North Korea, one needs to look at it objectively, like an empty cup, as they are not the same as us, their values and political beliefs, economic and social systems etc are different. Going in with a mind indoctrinated and filled with Western biased ideas of a country and trying to look for things to prove them to be true defeats the impartiality and objectivity of the journalist profession.
Despite all the negative things that I have written, about Singapore and about the US, never did I say that they are all bad. There are many good things here and in the US. An objective mind needs to praise the good and criticise the bad, look at both without ignoring any. If one wants to have a balanced view of things, one needs to look at them as they are, without prejudice, with no agenda.
North Korea is a country, a nation of people living their own lives many thousand miles away. We live our own lives and many North Koreans do not know of our existence nor threaten us in anyway. They mind their own business, they don’t bother us nor condemn us, nor did they ridicule us.
There is no need to ridicule them, condemn them or prejudge them based on the agenda of people who want to make enemies of them.
‘Hints of hardship if you look hard enough’ is the title of a Foo Jie Ying’s article. In Singapore, the richest country in the region and one of the richest in the world, you don’t have to look hard enough to find hardship unless one lives in a life of plenty and never walk the streets. I know, some Singaporeans were shockingly surprised to see hardship here when all one needs to do is to walk the streets.
Another of the students, Jennifer Dhanaraj, wrote about visiting this notorious country while the rest were all ready to scrutinise all the evidence of hardship, poverty, regimentation and an oppressive regime. Their expectations were fully met especially on the amount of propaganda that the North Koreans were brought up with.
‘The indoctrination starts in schools. Kindergarten children learn about Mr Kim Il Sung’s humble beginnings.’ Is this new? I am not sure if there were any indoctrination in Singapore, but these students have already formed their impression of this notorious nation even before stepping foot in the country and knew about the famines where reportedly 2m people died and 6m people are in need of food aid.
I am just wondering how much land and people would be needed to bury 2m people over a short period of time. If it is spreaded over a few decades like the tens of millions of Red Indians killed during the genocide in early America, it is easy to bury them and removed all traces of the killings and conveniently forgotten by not talking about them. Everyone seems to remember vividly the 2m famine deaths in North Korea and no one could recall the tens of millions Red Indians killed. Maybe they never call it genocide or something sinister to be remembered.
I am also wondering what were our kindergarten children being taught in Singapore, about its leaders humble beginning and their great achievements. Here we don’t call it indoctrination, just history, so that makes it different.
North Korea is a poor country. There is no need to look hard or look further. But life is far from a poverty stricken country like those in the third world or the developing world. They lived comfortably but without the modern gadgets that are part and parcel of the consumer societies of the developed world. They do not need to dress up everything, advertising and competition to sell and sell and for people to buy and buy.
Their lifestyle is far from what we would expect. As the students pointed out in style, we kept ourselves very busy with our mobile phones, tweeting, emails and got not much time left for socialising. The North Koreans need not spend time playing computer games and sending emails or sms, but lead their lives quite differently.
They did not have Orchard Road and Ion Shopping Malls or our two family entertainment resorts to keep them awake 24 hours. They are supposed to go to bed at 10pm.
Their economy is not even 10% the size of South Korea. But their soldiers were issued with Adidas shoes while ours with Brooks. They need not pay for medical or even child birth while we have to pay by the thousands for the delivery of a child and hundreds of thousands if warded in the hospitals. Sure our hospitals are world class. Definitely their doctors need not be paid in the hundreds of thousands or in millions. They don’t need so much money as their landed properties probably cost a fraction of our COEs while we have to pay hundreds of thousands or millions for a little free airspace for 99 years without owning it. They have free education to university level.
When so many things are free, when the needs for everyday living is simple, no need to pay $350k for overseas telephone bills, when their elite are paid a pittance, how can their GDP be comparable to those consumer societies when everything is priced to the sky to be of value? I bet their Adidas are made in China and cost a few dollars while the same Adidas here would cost a hundred bucks or more here.
Is it logical to compare GDP when the costing is different? They have several million soldiers to feed but each will cost a fraction of what we paid to our soldiers or a pittance of what the Americans paid for their soldiers. For every dollar they got more, many times more of goods and services.
They are poor, but they are not desperate or begging in the streets for food, all looking hungry, lean and in drapes. They dressed well and are well fed. And their streets are absolutely cleaner than ours, cleaner than the cleanest streets in Southeast Asia. Maybe they have nothing to throw away.
The students were constantly being watched during their visits and photography was hardly permissible. They were told to delete things they were not supposed to take. I remembered taking some photos at the underground station in Seoul several years back, innocently of course, just like tourists did everywhere. Immediately I was swarmed by several security personnel that appeared from nowhere and I was whisked to a corner for questioning. Only after showing my passport and giving them a few sheepish and polite smiles before they released me.
I am not sure you can shoot photographs freely in our underground without being stopped. I know that you cannot shoot at any embassies along Tanglin before someone come knocking at your door. A friend of mine had that notorious experience before in our free country.
Looking at North Korea, understanding North Korea, one needs to look at it objectively, like an empty cup, as they are not the same as us, their values and political beliefs, economic and social systems etc are different. Going in with a mind indoctrinated and filled with Western biased ideas of a country and trying to look for things to prove them to be true defeats the impartiality and objectivity of the journalist profession.
Despite all the negative things that I have written, about Singapore and about the US, never did I say that they are all bad. There are many good things here and in the US. An objective mind needs to praise the good and criticise the bad, look at both without ignoring any. If one wants to have a balanced view of things, one needs to look at them as they are, without prejudice, with no agenda.
North Korea is a country, a nation of people living their own lives many thousand miles away. We live our own lives and many North Koreans do not know of our existence nor threaten us in anyway. They mind their own business, they don’t bother us nor condemn us, nor did they ridicule us.
There is no need to ridicule them, condemn them or prejudge them based on the agenda of people who want to make enemies of them.
$350,000 overseas phone bill
This is how much was chalked up by Kave Goh during his 17 days in Taiwan. Singtel said he only needed to pay $12,000. The discount would have made the Royal House of Brunei feel very good. It was a generous discount. It would look even better if the bill is $1m and they only charge him $50k. It would be seen as a very generous gesture.
The HDB should do the same. After all the market prices of HDB flats are already so high, just announce a 30% price cut and come 2016, the people would be so appreciative that PAP would win all 87 seats in Parliament. See the professional trick at play?
Another example, a CEO shall raise his pay to $10m and then announce that he will take a 50% pay cut, a whopping $5m pay cut. No one will notice that he had raised his pay from $2m to $10m and a $5m pay cut is still a $3m pay hike.
Now I digress. A sensible amount to pay for this Kave Goh or any customer should be the price of an unlimited package. Maybe make the customer pay an administrative charge for converting his existing plans to an unlimited one. This must be standard procedure for all telcos. If telcos can charge $15 a day for unlimited usage, it means that it will still make a decent profit on that package. Don’t forget that emails using internet are getting their unlimited transmission of information for free.
Now how much is an unlimited usage package for roaming in Taiwan? How much is that compared to the $12,000 that Kave Goh has to pay. What is fair, decent and reasonable without exploitation, taking advantage of the customers and profitable?
Such instances of hefty bills for a limited package had occurred frequently and even young students had been hit when the intent was only to use the service sparingly. And they might think that doubling or tripling the usage at most will double or triple the charge.
CASE must step in to put a stop to this menace and give the customers a fair and equitable deal. Oh yeah, the terms of conditions are legal and the customers signed on the dotted line. Any one who applies the terms and conditions literally in such cases to rob the customers is simply ruthless and inhuman. My mind brings me to Ah Long and their formula for calculating interest.
The HDB should do the same. After all the market prices of HDB flats are already so high, just announce a 30% price cut and come 2016, the people would be so appreciative that PAP would win all 87 seats in Parliament. See the professional trick at play?
Another example, a CEO shall raise his pay to $10m and then announce that he will take a 50% pay cut, a whopping $5m pay cut. No one will notice that he had raised his pay from $2m to $10m and a $5m pay cut is still a $3m pay hike.
Now I digress. A sensible amount to pay for this Kave Goh or any customer should be the price of an unlimited package. Maybe make the customer pay an administrative charge for converting his existing plans to an unlimited one. This must be standard procedure for all telcos. If telcos can charge $15 a day for unlimited usage, it means that it will still make a decent profit on that package. Don’t forget that emails using internet are getting their unlimited transmission of information for free.
Now how much is an unlimited usage package for roaming in Taiwan? How much is that compared to the $12,000 that Kave Goh has to pay. What is fair, decent and reasonable without exploitation, taking advantage of the customers and profitable?
Such instances of hefty bills for a limited package had occurred frequently and even young students had been hit when the intent was only to use the service sparingly. And they might think that doubling or tripling the usage at most will double or triple the charge.
CASE must step in to put a stop to this menace and give the customers a fair and equitable deal. Oh yeah, the terms of conditions are legal and the customers signed on the dotted line. Any one who applies the terms and conditions literally in such cases to rob the customers is simply ruthless and inhuman. My mind brings me to Ah Long and their formula for calculating interest.
Christmas lights at Orchard Road
12/23/2011
The bottomless monetary contribution of Singaporeans
Singaporeans are continuously supporting the country with their monetary contributions but no one seems to appreciate this great sacrifice. The amount that each Singaporean is supporting the country is $148k cash, money on the table. This is the sacrifice that Singaporeans are making, many have more or less given up on this sum of money while they suffered in silence, forfeiting the holiday, no nice food on the table, scrimping to get by. How’s that for some real contribution by Singaporeans other than NS? Or have people taken this for granted, that Singaporeans could not do anything and anyone in power can simply legislate them away?
Please do not be ungrateful for the money Singaporeans have to set aside, like nationalization, to enable the country to have such a big sum of money to play with. $148k times 2m CPF contributors, that is a cool $296 billion when fully paid up. How much is our national reserves?
The amount is derived from the two minimum sums, $112k and $32k in Ordinary Account and Medisave account. Singaporeans deserve to be treated better, and get more in return for this monetary sacrifice. How much do the foreigners, PRs and non citizens contribute to the country money wise? And what are Singaporeans getting in return for these long term loans?
And $148k is to many Singaporeans, all the savings they have and given to the state to decide what to do with them, any time, any place, at your own time, use it at the state’s convenience. Please remember and be grateful to the daft Singaporeans and their money that is used to prop up this country and ….
Please do not be ungrateful for the money Singaporeans have to set aside, like nationalization, to enable the country to have such a big sum of money to play with. $148k times 2m CPF contributors, that is a cool $296 billion when fully paid up. How much is our national reserves?
The amount is derived from the two minimum sums, $112k and $32k in Ordinary Account and Medisave account. Singaporeans deserve to be treated better, and get more in return for this monetary sacrifice. How much do the foreigners, PRs and non citizens contribute to the country money wise? And what are Singaporeans getting in return for these long term loans?
And $148k is to many Singaporeans, all the savings they have and given to the state to decide what to do with them, any time, any place, at your own time, use it at the state’s convenience. Please remember and be grateful to the daft Singaporeans and their money that is used to prop up this country and ….
The lynching of Pte Daniel Chen
Pte Daniel Chen, a 19 year old Chinese American, joined the US Army to defend his country. He was sent to Afghanistan and was lynched, oops, they have sophisticated weapons today, they shot him in the head. No, no, not the Afghans. He was shot by his own comrades in arms, the Americans. His sin was that he was an Asian, a Chinese.
Poor Danny thought racism is passé in modern America. He lived and died just to find out that racism is deep in the blood of the Americans. They put on a façade of modernity, denounced others for abused of human rights regardless of colour or race, but they remained the same as their forefathers, racist of the first order.
Danny was abused, insulted with racist slurs, and beaten up, stoned by his white fellow soldiers, and shot by them in the head. The reports did not say that he was killed. It even implied that he shot himself, committed suicide. But eight soldiers including his platoon commander, have been charged for manslaughter and homicide.
And the Army spokesman proudly pronounced that those who killed their buddy soldiers would be charged and dealt with by the law. Sure, they would be found guilty and sentenced to two months jail before they become free men again. And with parole and whatever mitigating factors, they may not even spend a day behind bars. Because the victim was Asian, and worst, Chinese.
The myth that the Americans have become a new and better beast is still a myth. The racist beast is still hidden beneath the white skin and waiting to surface at the earliest opportunity. If they could do that to their own comrades in arms, dragging him along the floors and shooting him dead, what do you think they would do the Arabs and Afghans in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.
Yes, they never leave their soldiers behind. They will bring back Danny Chen to his parents in a black plastic bag, after killing him. I am jumping the gun to pronounce them guilty. They could get off, acquitted for any flimsy reasons, maybe a full stop missing in the charges. There are too many of them to pay for the death of a Chinese American. Don’t worry, they will now find all ways to help the lynch mob, to free them. Every loophole in the law will be exploited.
Mark my words. The whole wayang will go through its motion and none will be punished, at worst a slap on the risk. The case will be different if it was a white boy shot by black American soldiers.
Poor Danny thought racism is passé in modern America. He lived and died just to find out that racism is deep in the blood of the Americans. They put on a façade of modernity, denounced others for abused of human rights regardless of colour or race, but they remained the same as their forefathers, racist of the first order.
Danny was abused, insulted with racist slurs, and beaten up, stoned by his white fellow soldiers, and shot by them in the head. The reports did not say that he was killed. It even implied that he shot himself, committed suicide. But eight soldiers including his platoon commander, have been charged for manslaughter and homicide.
And the Army spokesman proudly pronounced that those who killed their buddy soldiers would be charged and dealt with by the law. Sure, they would be found guilty and sentenced to two months jail before they become free men again. And with parole and whatever mitigating factors, they may not even spend a day behind bars. Because the victim was Asian, and worst, Chinese.
The myth that the Americans have become a new and better beast is still a myth. The racist beast is still hidden beneath the white skin and waiting to surface at the earliest opportunity. If they could do that to their own comrades in arms, dragging him along the floors and shooting him dead, what do you think they would do the Arabs and Afghans in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.
Yes, they never leave their soldiers behind. They will bring back Danny Chen to his parents in a black plastic bag, after killing him. I am jumping the gun to pronounce them guilty. They could get off, acquitted for any flimsy reasons, maybe a full stop missing in the charges. There are too many of them to pay for the death of a Chinese American. Don’t worry, they will now find all ways to help the lynch mob, to free them. Every loophole in the law will be exploited.
Mark my words. The whole wayang will go through its motion and none will be punished, at worst a slap on the risk. The case will be different if it was a white boy shot by black American soldiers.
Child labour is cruelty….
Child labour is cruelty, another kind of child abused. We frown and condemn child labour for obvious reasons. The child should be in school. The child is too young, needs protection and loving tender care. They should not be made to toil at such a young age. How sad, how pitiful to have to work when they should be enjoying their childhood. Punish the employers.
Exceptions may be granted to poverty stricken countries when they don’t even have enough to eat, no schools for them to go to, and nothing to amuse themselves. A little bean counting activity that does not text or pressure them may be a form of education for them, and helping out with the family’s financial needs. I say this is an exception, an undesirable condition, and better not to have. No sweat shops.
The young and feeble that need love and tender care should be looked after and should not be working. Making them work is cruelty and unacceptable.
What about another kind of weak and feeble? I mean the oldies in their 60s and 70s or older, who should be resting at home, to be looked after?
Should they be made to work to earn a living? No, it is a way of passing time, a way to be financially independent, a way to gain some self respect and dignity. Let them work if they can. They are all very happy working.
What are these thoughts about cruelty and abuses to the old that have to work? It is for their own good and welfare. Some will even enjoy working. They should work till they die or else they will be sitting in the void deck wasting their time watching the world goes by. Who says the old and feeble cannot work?
Do I make sense? Maybe one day I may end up cleaning tables at a food court. And when the politicians come along with his entourage, he will explain to them how independent I am, dignified and proud to earn a decent living. I hope he does not venture to ask me if I am happy to be working at 70, cleaning tables.
Then if Matilah were to see me, he would tell his friends, look at that asshole, he has messed up his life that’s why he has to clean tables at 70. Well that’s the truth. I must be an asshole to be cleaning tables at 70. No need to put on the fake reasonings that it is for financial independence and dignity. There is no dignity when one still has to struggle to be alive at 70. Dignity only comes with a million dollar pension and a few chairmanships and doing sweet nothing.
Exceptions may be granted to poverty stricken countries when they don’t even have enough to eat, no schools for them to go to, and nothing to amuse themselves. A little bean counting activity that does not text or pressure them may be a form of education for them, and helping out with the family’s financial needs. I say this is an exception, an undesirable condition, and better not to have. No sweat shops.
The young and feeble that need love and tender care should be looked after and should not be working. Making them work is cruelty and unacceptable.
What about another kind of weak and feeble? I mean the oldies in their 60s and 70s or older, who should be resting at home, to be looked after?
Should they be made to work to earn a living? No, it is a way of passing time, a way to be financially independent, a way to gain some self respect and dignity. Let them work if they can. They are all very happy working.
What are these thoughts about cruelty and abuses to the old that have to work? It is for their own good and welfare. Some will even enjoy working. They should work till they die or else they will be sitting in the void deck wasting their time watching the world goes by. Who says the old and feeble cannot work?
Do I make sense? Maybe one day I may end up cleaning tables at a food court. And when the politicians come along with his entourage, he will explain to them how independent I am, dignified and proud to earn a decent living. I hope he does not venture to ask me if I am happy to be working at 70, cleaning tables.
Then if Matilah were to see me, he would tell his friends, look at that asshole, he has messed up his life that’s why he has to clean tables at 70. Well that’s the truth. I must be an asshole to be cleaning tables at 70. No need to put on the fake reasonings that it is for financial independence and dignity. There is no dignity when one still has to struggle to be alive at 70. Dignity only comes with a million dollar pension and a few chairmanships and doing sweet nothing.
12/22/2011
Seng Han Thong in the lime light again
He was invited to the Blog TV programme to discuss the current SMRT fiasco. He quoted a post by a PR about SMRT staff that were Malays and Indians and could not speak good English and probably resulted in the problems last week. His insensitivity to quote the message verbatim was not taken kindly by the bloggers. Even Halimah Yaacob was offended and has to air her unhappiness.
Seng Han Thong has since apologized for his insensitivity which is really uncalled for as he is a politician and cannot forget how such remarks could be taken differently. It is going to do him no good.
Well, it happened. Just too bad.
Seng Han Thong has since apologized for his insensitivity which is really uncalled for as he is a politician and cannot forget how such remarks could be taken differently. It is going to do him no good.
Well, it happened. Just too bad.
To be happy or to be more frighten?
Read a summary of the Blog TV programme on the recent SMRT breakdown. Did they miss an A in SMRT? What I read is that SMRT is ready to handle a terrorist attack but not a normal breakdown. And the problem is really communication. If they could communicate well, the problem will be solved.
Did they say 21 claws fell off? Could communication prevent the claws falling off? Could good communication prevent the UPS from cutting off and allow ventilation to go on without suffocating the passengers?
Scary isn’t it?
Did they say 21 claws fell off? Could communication prevent the claws falling off? Could good communication prevent the UPS from cutting off and allow ventilation to go on without suffocating the passengers?
Scary isn’t it?
A super intellectual and expert on North Korea
The death of Kim Jong Il has spawned an army of pseudo intellectuals and experts about North Korea. And one cannot miss what they have to say about Kim Jong Il and the country. Let me just quote some of the enlightening news and views they would say.
Kim Jong Il was a mad dictator. He was egoistic, and wore a hair style and platform shoes to make him look taller. He was a womanizer, a lover of sports cars and cognac. He spent millions buying cognac. He was reckless and always provoked the South Koreans. He had several wives.
I have yet to see him in his playboy look, in his sports cars and surrounded by all the beautiful women, luxury watches, branded clothes, and half drunk because of his consumption of millions of dollars of cognac. Anything else is new?
As for North Korea, it is a poverty stricken country, 2 million people died of famine, under fed children looking like the leftovers in poor third world countries, skin and bones with eyes bulging. And they spent all their monies in defence and nothing left to eat.
The wailing and remorse for Kim’s death is all staged, all managed and propaganda. If they don’t do it, don’t pretend to be crying, (they are all watching over their shoulders to see who is watching), they would be arrested, perhaps sent to Siberia or tortured in Guantanamo. The North Koreans are not only stupid, robotic, unthinking but as crazy as their Dear Leader.
Now Dear Leader is dead, his young son is incapable to running the country. And he is so naïve, braggart, arrogant, and trying to prove himself. And he is planning to launch an attack at South Korea. Maybe he will fly his ICBMs to the USA and Singapore. So frightening dealing with these poor and mad people. It is a country of insanes but all very happy after being tortured and oppressed by their Dear Leader.
See how well read I am on North Korea. I know everything about North Korea from the experts by reading all the articles in reputable newspapers written by experts who have not even step foot in South Korea, not talking about North Korea. I think I am more expert and intellectual than all these pseudo intellectuals and experts because I know everything they know and more.
Anyone who wants to know about North Korea and Kim need not go further or waste time reading the reputable media. Everything that is needed to know is summarized here. Just parrot what I say and you can act like an expert, an unthinking intellectual.
The same things will be spoken by the future experts of North Korea and Kim Jung Un in the next 30 years. I know. I am the super intellectual and expert of North Korea.
Emeritus Professor Redbean
Kim Jong Il was a mad dictator. He was egoistic, and wore a hair style and platform shoes to make him look taller. He was a womanizer, a lover of sports cars and cognac. He spent millions buying cognac. He was reckless and always provoked the South Koreans. He had several wives.
I have yet to see him in his playboy look, in his sports cars and surrounded by all the beautiful women, luxury watches, branded clothes, and half drunk because of his consumption of millions of dollars of cognac. Anything else is new?
As for North Korea, it is a poverty stricken country, 2 million people died of famine, under fed children looking like the leftovers in poor third world countries, skin and bones with eyes bulging. And they spent all their monies in defence and nothing left to eat.
The wailing and remorse for Kim’s death is all staged, all managed and propaganda. If they don’t do it, don’t pretend to be crying, (they are all watching over their shoulders to see who is watching), they would be arrested, perhaps sent to Siberia or tortured in Guantanamo. The North Koreans are not only stupid, robotic, unthinking but as crazy as their Dear Leader.
Now Dear Leader is dead, his young son is incapable to running the country. And he is so naïve, braggart, arrogant, and trying to prove himself. And he is planning to launch an attack at South Korea. Maybe he will fly his ICBMs to the USA and Singapore. So frightening dealing with these poor and mad people. It is a country of insanes but all very happy after being tortured and oppressed by their Dear Leader.
See how well read I am on North Korea. I know everything about North Korea from the experts by reading all the articles in reputable newspapers written by experts who have not even step foot in South Korea, not talking about North Korea. I think I am more expert and intellectual than all these pseudo intellectuals and experts because I know everything they know and more.
Anyone who wants to know about North Korea and Kim need not go further or waste time reading the reputable media. Everything that is needed to know is summarized here. Just parrot what I say and you can act like an expert, an unthinking intellectual.
The same things will be spoken by the future experts of North Korea and Kim Jung Un in the next 30 years. I know. I am the super intellectual and expert of North Korea.
Emeritus Professor Redbean
Ministerial Salary Review still awaiting
Last month Hsien Loong mentioned that the Review will be ready in early December. We are nearing Christmas and nothing is seen nor heard. The ST has a report today on the Review Committee and apparently it has yet to submit the Report to Hsien Loong.
What caught my attention is AP Eugene Tan’s comments on what should NOT be done, that is, the cut should not be too deep. He gave two reasons. A too big cut will ‘disincentivise private sector talent to enter politics’. I think this is a very wrong reason for not doing the right cut.
Political office is about serving the people and country. Politics is not about self and self serving. This is exactly the problem with our political scene, where instead of bringing people who think country and people, they are incentivizing people who think self and profit. We are seeing the results and there are coming in straight and fast. The public housing was a happy problem that turned ugly. The efficient transport system that ran for 30 years is now running into trouble. From good to bad.
The next reason is that a too deep a cut will be ‘admitting that ministers have been grossly overpaid for 15 years’. What kind of excuse is this? Two wrongs do not make a right. If it was wrong, admit it, do the necessary and move on. Pretending that it was not wrong is not going to solve anything. The cancer will just grow.
I really hope that this is not the thinking and premises adopted by the Review Committee. If they are, the recommendations can be best forgotten.
What caught my attention is AP Eugene Tan’s comments on what should NOT be done, that is, the cut should not be too deep. He gave two reasons. A too big cut will ‘disincentivise private sector talent to enter politics’. I think this is a very wrong reason for not doing the right cut.
Political office is about serving the people and country. Politics is not about self and self serving. This is exactly the problem with our political scene, where instead of bringing people who think country and people, they are incentivizing people who think self and profit. We are seeing the results and there are coming in straight and fast. The public housing was a happy problem that turned ugly. The efficient transport system that ran for 30 years is now running into trouble. From good to bad.
The next reason is that a too deep a cut will be ‘admitting that ministers have been grossly overpaid for 15 years’. What kind of excuse is this? Two wrongs do not make a right. If it was wrong, admit it, do the necessary and move on. Pretending that it was not wrong is not going to solve anything. The cancer will just grow.
I really hope that this is not the thinking and premises adopted by the Review Committee. If they are, the recommendations can be best forgotten.
Cheryl Fox - Get Real and hard
I happened to watch this programme hosted by Cheryl Fox on 20 Dec. It was about the housing scheme for the old and lonely. We have this scheme where the oldies are allowed to rent HDB flats at a concession rate of something like $26 pm where two oldies could share a one room flat. They could find their own flat mates or the HDB could fix them up if they could not find one.
$26 monthly rental each is a steal. How to find such low rental when every flat costs several hundred thousand bucks? Even people on public assistance would be able to afford to pay $26 as they get something like $400 pm from the govt.
The programme Get Real, showed a few of the tenants and how they live their lives sharing the flat with strangers. There was a 65 year old guy living with a granny who is more than 90. And there is this guy in his 60s or 70s living with another guy who is much older and have all kinds of oldies problems, unable to control his urine, difficulties in moving, and this guy took upon himself to look after him, feed him, wash him and clean up the mess he is creating, without getting paid a single cent.
The other guy who is with the granny, he just tolerates. The granny is in a world of her own, with poor personal hygiene and her room smells. What to do, there is nothing that the guy could do. He just lives with it.
The two guys were extreme examples of tolerance and compassion. They understand. They know the other parties needed help but were helpless.
I wonder how many of such folks are living on their own in such conditions? Okay, please don’t be patronizing by saying they are losers and deserve to be where they are. With the high cost of living, many will fall into this category in a matter of time, no money, can’t work, weak and feeble, economically useless, and no one to look after them.
The children, if they have, would have serious problem looking after them as well. Our social economic structure is designed to have both average Sinkie parents working. Where are they going to find the time looking after their old folks? And there are also space constraints in the little flats. Where to put the oldies when they have growing up children? Average sinkies don’t live in big 20,000 sq ft bungalows.
So how, put them in old folks homes? You think it is so cheap, so affordable? Many would cost them both their incomes. So how? How much does it cost to upkeep one such loser that is completely dependent on others to help them to live longer?
I think the pension of a minister could take care of at least 1,000 such folks. It definitely would not bankrupt the country to take on this function for sure. It is a case of value. Who shall take care of them and if the rightful caretaker can’t as they too are in dire straits, who else?
Some say depends on Charity Shows and the public for more donations. Some say the President can help to raise funds. Yes, depends on the public and their money to support these people who are blessed with long lives. Is the money in our national reserves not public money?
Where is the dignity to grow old? Shit, people in such state better don’t ask for dignity. It is between a one room flat, a nursing home or the road side. What do they expect?
$26 monthly rental each is a steal. How to find such low rental when every flat costs several hundred thousand bucks? Even people on public assistance would be able to afford to pay $26 as they get something like $400 pm from the govt.
The programme Get Real, showed a few of the tenants and how they live their lives sharing the flat with strangers. There was a 65 year old guy living with a granny who is more than 90. And there is this guy in his 60s or 70s living with another guy who is much older and have all kinds of oldies problems, unable to control his urine, difficulties in moving, and this guy took upon himself to look after him, feed him, wash him and clean up the mess he is creating, without getting paid a single cent.
The other guy who is with the granny, he just tolerates. The granny is in a world of her own, with poor personal hygiene and her room smells. What to do, there is nothing that the guy could do. He just lives with it.
The two guys were extreme examples of tolerance and compassion. They understand. They know the other parties needed help but were helpless.
I wonder how many of such folks are living on their own in such conditions? Okay, please don’t be patronizing by saying they are losers and deserve to be where they are. With the high cost of living, many will fall into this category in a matter of time, no money, can’t work, weak and feeble, economically useless, and no one to look after them.
The children, if they have, would have serious problem looking after them as well. Our social economic structure is designed to have both average Sinkie parents working. Where are they going to find the time looking after their old folks? And there are also space constraints in the little flats. Where to put the oldies when they have growing up children? Average sinkies don’t live in big 20,000 sq ft bungalows.
So how, put them in old folks homes? You think it is so cheap, so affordable? Many would cost them both their incomes. So how? How much does it cost to upkeep one such loser that is completely dependent on others to help them to live longer?
I think the pension of a minister could take care of at least 1,000 such folks. It definitely would not bankrupt the country to take on this function for sure. It is a case of value. Who shall take care of them and if the rightful caretaker can’t as they too are in dire straits, who else?
Some say depends on Charity Shows and the public for more donations. Some say the President can help to raise funds. Yes, depends on the public and their money to support these people who are blessed with long lives. Is the money in our national reserves not public money?
Where is the dignity to grow old? Shit, people in such state better don’t ask for dignity. It is between a one room flat, a nursing home or the road side. What do they expect?
12/21/2011
The Paradise Island Template
By Kopi Lim
Paradise Island, Dec 21 (Roosters)
Buying a train ticket in
Paradise Island may not be a cakewalk anymore.
Under the new commuter-protection rules that take effect Jan 1,
commuters in the tightly controlled island must possess
certain educational qualifications related to taking public transportation or have
relevant train boarding experience to buy train tickets directly.
Those who fail to meet the Transport Authority of Paradise
(TAP) requirements must take a series of on-line tutorials on
the Transport Interchange website, and answer the
questions correctly in order to qualify to buy train tickets.
All commuters are given a grace of one year period to pass this test or they will not be allowed to buy train tickets anymore.
Paradise Island, Dec 21 (Roosters)
Buying a train ticket in
Paradise Island may not be a cakewalk anymore.
Under the new commuter-protection rules that take effect Jan 1,
commuters in the tightly controlled island must possess
certain educational qualifications related to taking public transportation or have
relevant train boarding experience to buy train tickets directly.
Those who fail to meet the Transport Authority of Paradise
(TAP) requirements must take a series of on-line tutorials on
the Transport Interchange website, and answer the
questions correctly in order to qualify to buy train tickets.
All commuters are given a grace of one year period to pass this test or they will not be allowed to buy train tickets anymore.
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